Video recording of presentation

February 4, 2007 11:56 AM

I need to make a DVD of a presentation I will be doing in two weeks. None of my friends or co-workers have a video camera. Do I have to buy one?

I'd like to make a brief video (20 min.) as an addendum for my resume, but it's not critically important. It would be a simple taping of me doing a presentation, no graphics or anything fancy.

What are the options, besides doing a shady buy/return from a local store? Can video cameras be rented for a day? Should I consider hiring a professional who does wedding videos (and what would that cost)?

posted by rdauphin to Technology (3 answers total)

Yes, video cameras -- as well as film cameras -- can be rented by the day.

Contact your local film office, film society, or yellow pages for more info...

The questions you need to ask yourself:

Are you going to shoot this live in a single take? (Twenty minute static shot of you making a presentation would be extremely boring.) Do you know how to properly operate a video camera? Do you have a DVD recorder? How are you planning to edit the video?

The best Power Point presentation I've seen on film is AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH -- not much of a film (as far as the art of cinema is concerned), but a good "filmed" Power Point presentation.
posted by cinemafiend at 12:08 PM on February 4, 2007

If you're doing this in a university setting, consider checking with your media resource department to see if they would be allow you to borrow it. Another possibility are camera phones and digital cameras with video capability... the files, especially from the latter, come out quite large, but if you're in a pinch and have a large memory card available, it may do.
posted by perpetualstroll at 2:44 PM on February 4, 2007

Check with your local library. Some of the larger ones may have an AV department.
posted by Octoparrot at 3:44 PM on February 4, 2007